Combination frame and stabilizer construction for tractor mounted equipment



3,079,009 ION STABILIZER CONSTRUCT UNTED EQUIPMENT FOR TRACTOR MO Original Filed April 9, 1956 CHARLES J. DAVIS INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY lll senses i atented Feb. 2%, 1963 3,tl79,tlil9 GGP/IBINATIQN AND STABELIZER (IGN- STRUCTEGN FGR TRAtITGL't MQUNTED EQUEP- MENT Qharles 31. Davis, Wichita, Kans, assignor to Massey- Ferguson Inc, Racine, Win, a corporation of Maryland (Jontinuation of application Ser. No. 577,977, Apr. 9, 1955s. This application June 8, 1959, Ser. No. 3183-59 4- Uaims. (U. 212-445) This invention relates to tractor mounted equipment which includes a boom pivoted to swing from side to side and it is more particularly concerned with the stabilizing of the equipment to allow the boom to carry heavier loads. The present application is a continuation of my co-pending application, Serial No. 577,077, filed April 9, 1956, now abandoned.

While there is a variety of equipment into which booms of different sorts have been incorporated, the instant invention is primarily concerned with equipment of that general type intended to be mounted at the rear end of a conventional tractor. The tractor provides a convenient source of power for the equipment and additionally makes it readily transportable. This is particularly advantageous in earth moving operations involving the use of a mechanical shovel supported by the boom, as such equipment must periodically be moved as the work progresses. However, the realization of the foregoing objective imposes certain handicaps. One of the most serious of those handicaps is that of preventing the tractor from tipping or from being subjected to excessive strains when loads of varying magnitude and at different angles are imposed on it through the boom.

With the above in view, one object of the invention is to provide an improved boom supporting frame structure of the above general character embodying novel stabilizing means which relieves the tractor of a large part of the load imposed on it by the boom and effectively prevents the tractor from tipping, which affords greater ground clearance when retracted to travel position, and which permits substantial simplification of the frame and reduction of its weight without sacrificin strength and rigidity.

A more specific object is to provide a boom support ing frame structure in which elements of the frame are additionally adapted to serve as a part of the stabilizing mechanism.

Another object is to provide an improved boom supporting frame structure equipped with hydraulically operated, extensible and retractable ground engaging members for stabilizing the frame under load, in which the actuators are mounted and related to the other elements of the equipment in a manner which relieves them of objectionable bending loads.

Still another object is to provide stabilizing mech nism of the above general type in which the actuators are enclosed within the frame structure whereby the working parts are effectively shielded from dirt or other foreign substances and protected against injury by contact with external objects in the operation or transportation of the equipment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanyin drawing in which:

FEGURE l is a perspective view of a boom supporting frame structure with stabilizing mechanism embodying the features of the invention, the frame being pictured in association with a tractor which is shown in phantom or dotted outline;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the frame and the stabilizing mechanism associated with one side of it, sections thereof being broken away in order to show certain interiorly disposed parts that would otherwise be concealed; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2 showing to better advantage how the various parts inter'fit and interact with each other.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the apparatus there depicted which has been selected in order to exemplify the invention is shown in conjunction with a tractor shown in phantom outline and designated generally by reference numeral 10. The tractor It) is equipped with a pair of rear wheels 11 which are spaced a given distance apart as is coventional, but with respect to which the invention is inter-related as will later become apparent. In carrying out the invention, 1 provide a frame structure 12 adapted to be mounted in any suitable manner at the rear end of the tractor 16. When mounted, the frame extends transversely across the tractor, preferably beyond each of the wheels l1.

The frame structure 12, as shown, comprises a pair of generally upright side members 14, 16 rig-idly joined to form a unitary structure by an upper transverse member 18 and a lower transverse member 2%). The particular frame shown is generally rectangular, although it will be appreciated that the side members 14, 16 may be inclined somewhat if desired with their lower ends more widely spaced than their upper ends. The transverse members 18, 2d are rigidly and permanently connected to the side members 14, 16 as by welding. Additional rigidly is imparted to the frame by gusset plates 22, 24 and inclined struts 26 extending between and welded to the frame members, thus making the frame strong and rigid and capable of carrying loads of relatively large magnitude.

To provide maximum strength and rigidity without excessive weight, the side and transverse members 14, 16, 18 and 2% are preferably constructed in the form of hollow beams, preferably of generally rectangular cross section. Side members 14 and 16, in addition to serving as integral parts of the frame structure, are also constructed and arranged to function as a part of the mechanism for stabilizing the frame. For this purpose, the side members are left open at their lower ends and are finished internally to serve as housings and guides for extensible and retractable ground engaging members herein shown as stabilizing posts 54 which may also conveniently comprise hollow beams having a cross section complemental to that of the side members.

The side members 14 and i6 additionally serve as housings for hydraulic actuators for extending and retracting the stabilizing posts 54 relative to the side members. The actuators as shown are of the double-acting cylinder and piston type, each comprising a cylinder 28' closed at one end and having a working piston with a piston rod 36 projecting through a suitable packing gland at the other end. In the particular form shown, the cylinder 2% has an integral clevis 3d at its closed end which is anchored to the frame structure, in this instance, to a cross member 32 disposed within and welded to the upper end of the associated side member. The cross member and clevis are suitably apertured for the reception of a pin 34 which connects the cylinder to the cross member for pivotal movement about an axis disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tractor on which the frame is mounted.

Fixed to the projecting lower end of the piston rod 36 is a T-shaped fitting 38 by which the rod is pivotally connected to the lower end of the post 54 and to a ground engaging foot member 40. The latter is in the form of a heavy steel plate with upstanding ears 42 spaced apart to receive the fitting 38. The ears are apertured as is also the lower end of the post 54 to accommodate a pin 44 ground, it is provided on its under side with a pluralityof cleats46. The action of the cleats is supplemented by a plurality of replaceable spike elements 4-8 which, in this instance, have their upper ends reduced in diameter and adapted to seat in collars or bushings '50 provided on.

the foot members. Cotter pins 52 inserted through transverse apertures in thereduced ends of the spikes retain them in assembled relation with the foot;

It will be evident thatthe introduction of pressure fluid into the upper end of the cylinder 28 will force the pistonand piston rod- 36 downwardly to bring the foot 40 into contact with the ground. In theenvironment shown, pressure fluid is supplied from the hydraulic system of the tractor and spent pressure fluid is returned to the system reservoir by way' of; flexible conduits 51 and 53 which extend through the upper frame member 18 and into the side members 14, 16 as shown in FIG. 3. The fluid supply for the respective actuators is. preferably controlled by separate valves, one. for each of the side members. Accordingly, the foot member at each side may be extended as required to establish firm contact with the ground and support the frame 12 in a level position. Movement of the foot members is restricted to a straight path, vertical in this instance, by the posts 54, which telescope into, the

side members 14, 16. Preferably, the post members are or; slightly smaller cross sectional dimensions than the interior of the side members. The small clearance thus provided is taken up by a plurality of angular wear plates 56, one at each corner of the post 54- and removably secured thereto as by a plurality of counter-sunk screws 58;

The provision of the rectangular housings and guide postseifectively restrains the ground engaging feet against rotation. Further, this guide arrangement completely re lieves the hydraulic actuators of any bending forces and thus protects them against excessive wear or damage. Thus, the forces acting on the feet 40 are transmitted through the pins 44 to the posts 54 and by the posts, directly to the frame members 14, 16. The actuators are accordingly subjected only to compressive forces for which they are particularly designed.

With further reference to the mounting of the hydraulic actuators, it will be noted that the pivot axis for the feet 40 is disposed at right angles to the pivot axis for the actuator cylinders. This affords complete freedom of the actuators from lateral loads and couplings and further guards against the application of excessive twisting strains th m The frame structure 12 may be equipped with any preferred structure for supporting a boom to swing about a vertical axis to either side of the tractor. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the frame supports a vertical swivel post 60 through the medium of short beams .62 64- extending rearwardly in cantilever fashion from the upper and lower transverse members 18 and 20, respectively. The boom actuating mechanism itself constitutes the subject matter of a companion application and need not be described in detail here. It may be noted, however, that the post 60 has welded thereto a clevis member 66 to which is pivotally attached the lower end of a boom 68. The upper end of the boom may support load lifting means or a ground working tool as, for example, a shovel. In the particular embodiment shown, the boom is adapted to be elevated by a hydraulic actuator including a cylinder 70. Integral with the clevis 66 is a series of vertically spaced sector plates 72 each provided with suitable apertures for. pinning them to the free ends of, apair of piston rods 74, 76. Through the medium of hydraulic cylinders 78 80, it can be appreciated that these piston rods 74, 76, with their pistons operating in the cylinders may be actuated into various positions to swing the boom about the vertical axis of the post 6i to either side of the tractor.

While the specific coupling arrangement by which the frame is secured to the tractor 10 is of no concern to the present invention, it may be noted that a pair of brackets 82 have been mounted on the lower transverse member 20 for that purpose. These brackets are suitably apertured for cooperation with coupling elements provided on the frame of the tractor. Other coupling elements may be utilized to connect with other parts of the frame structure as, for example, the upper transverse member 18, to hold the frame rigid with respect to the tractor.

As indicated heretofore, the frame 12 is preferably dimensioned so that the side members 14, 16 are spaced apart further than the tractor drive wheels 11. Such spacing improves. stability, particularly when the beam dfiis swung intoa position such thatits load is extended at the side of the tractor.

It will also be appreciated that the disposition of the actuator cylinders 28 with their axes coincident with the retractable posts 54 limits the forces imposed thereon to compressive forces. Lateral strains on the apparatus are absorbed by the posts 54 and their cooperating guides with a consequent reduction in the wear on the moving parts of the actuators. The location of the actuators within the side members of the frame structure protects them from dirt or damage by contact with external obiects. This is of substantial importance since equipment of this type frequently encounters rigorous and abusive treatment and is particularly vulnerable to trucks backing into it, falling debris, and the like. Furthermore, the arrangement whereby the posts 54 are telescoped over the actuator cylinders affords substantially greater ground clearance than conventional stabilizers when the posts and their ground engaging feet are retracted to travel position.

I claim as my invention;

1. A frame structure and stabilizing structure for mounting a boom on a tractor comprising, in combination, a pair of laterally spaced generally upright side members rigidly connected by cross members to form a rigid structure, said side members being in the form of hollow beams of polygonal cross section. and being open at their lower ends, an elongated hollow. stabilizing post having a cross-sectional shape complemental to the cross sectional shape of said side members. and dimensioned for slidable engagement therein for reciprocable non-rotational movement through the open lower ends of the side members, a ground engaging foot pivotally secured to the lower end of said post, an extensible and retractable hydraulic actuator housed in each side member for advancing and retracting the-.associated post, first means pivotally connecting one end of said actuator with the frame adjacent the upper end of the side member in which it is housed, and second mean-s pivotally connecting the other end of said actuator with the post in the side member, such connection being located adjacent the lower end of the post, the longitudinal axes of said first and second means being angularly related to one another and lying in parallel planes so that all lateral forces exerted on the ground engaging foot are transmitted by said post to the side member of the frame.

2. A frame structure and stabilizing structure for mounting a boom on a tractor comprising, in combination, a pair of laterally spaced generally upright side members rigidly connected by cross members. to form a rigid structure, said side members being in the form of hollow beams of rectangular cross section and being open at their lower ends, an elongated hollow sleeve member having a cross-sectional shape complemental to the cross-sectional shape of said side members, and dimensioned for slidable engagement therein for reciprocable non-rotational movement through the open lower ends of the side members, a ground engaging foot secured to the lower end of said sleeve, a hydraulic actuator housed in each of said side members including an elongated cylinder with a piston rod extending from one end, a pin connecting the upper end of said cylinder to the frame for pivotal movement about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the frame, a second pin pivotally connecting the projecting end of said piston rod with said foot and with the lower end of the associated sleeve, the pivot axis provided by said second pin being disposed substantially at right angles to the pivot axis provided by the first mentioned pin, thus affording the actuator complete freedom from lateral strains imposed on the structure through the ground engaging feet.

3. A tractor mounted combination frame and stabilizer construction for excavators and the like, comprising, in combination, a pair of laterally spaced generally upright side members each in the form of a hollow beam open at its lower end, cross members connected to said side members and defining therewith a rigid frame, means on said frame for supporting a boom for swinging movement relative thereto, means on said frame for attaching the same to the tractor transversely thereof, a pair of elongated stabilizing posts each telescopically mounted in a respective one of said side members and disposed for reciprocable nonrotatable movement through the open lower end thereof, a pair of ground-engaging feet each swivelly secured to a corresponding one of said stabilizing posts, a pair of extensible and retractable hydraulic actuators each housed in a corresponding one of said side members for advancing and retracting the stabilizing post mounted therein, a first swivel means connecting each said actuator to its associated side member, a second swivel means connecting each said actuator to its asso ciated stabilizing post, said side members and stabilizing posts providing overlapping complemental guide surfaces between each said side member and its respective stabilizing post, said complemental guide surfaces being disposed about the longitudinal axis of each said side member and its stabilizing post so as to preclude relative rotation therebetween and transmit independently of said actuator bending stresses in any lateral direction between each said foot and said frame.

4. A tractor mounted combination frame and stabilizer construction for excavators and the like, comprising, in combination, a frame including a pair of laterally spaced generally upright side members each in the form of a hollow beam open at its lower end, means on said frame for supporting a boom for swinging movement relative thereto, means on said frame for attaching the same to the tractor with said side members disposed at opposite sides of the tractor, a pair of elongated stabilizing posts each telescopically mounted in a respective one of said side members and disposed for reciprocable nonrotatable movement through the open lower end thereof, a pair of ground-engaging feet each swivelly secured to a corresponding one of said stabilizing posts for swivel movement at least on an axis running generally longitudinally of the tractor, a pair of extensible and retractable hydraulic actuators each housed in a corresponding one of said side members for advancing and retracting the post associated therewith, conduit means for conveying pressure fluid to and from said actuators to advance and retract the associated post, a first swivel means connecting each said actuator to its associated side member, a second swivel means connecting each said actuator to the associated stabilizing post, said side members and stabilizing posts providing overlapping complemental guide surfaces between each said side member and its respective stabilizing post, said complemental guide surfaces being disposed about the longitudinal axis of each of said side member and its stabilizing post so as to preclude relative rotation therebetween and transmit independently of said actuator bending stresses in any lateral direction between each said foot and said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,131,479 McGifiert Sept. 27, 1938 2,365,169 Billings Dec. 19, 1944 2,746,612 Wirz May 22, 1956 2,846,094 Pilch Aug. 5, 1953 

3. A TRACTOR MOUNTED COMBINATION FRAME AND STABILIZER CONSTRUCTION FOR EXCAVATORS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED GENERALLY UPRIGHT SIDE MEMBERS EACH IN THE FORM OF A HOLLOW BEAM OPEN AT ITS LOWER END, CROSS MEMBERS CONNECTED TO SAID SIDE MEMBERS AND DEFINING THEREWITH A RIGID FRAME, MEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR SUPPORTING A BOOM FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, MEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR ATTACHING THE SAME TO THE TRACTOR TRANSVERSELY THEREOF, A PAIR OF ELONGATED STABILIZING POSTS EACH TELESCOPICALLY MOUNTED IN A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS AND DISPOSED FOR RECIPROCABLE NONROTATABLE MOVEMENT THROUGH THE OPEN LOWER END THEREOF, A PAIR OF GROUND-ENGAGING FEET EACH SWIVELLY SECURED TO A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID STABILIZING POSTS, A PAIR OF EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE HYDRAULIC ACTUATORS EACH HOUSED IN A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS FOR ADVANCING AND RETRACTING THE STABILIZING POST MOUNTED THEREIN, A FIRST SWIVEL MEANS CONNECTING EACH SAID ACTUATOR TO ITS ASSOCIATED SIDE MEMBER, A SECOND SWIVEL MEANS CONNECTING EACH SAID ACTUATOR TO ITS ASSOCIATED STABILIZING POST, SAID SIDE MEMBERS AND STABILIZING POSTS PROVIDING OVERLAPPING COMPLEMENTAL GUIDE SURFACES BETWEEN EACH SAID SIDE MEMBER AND ITS RESPECTIVE STABILIZING POST, SAID COMPLEMENTAL GUIDE SURFACES BEING DISPOSED ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF EACH SAID SIDE MEMBER AND ITS STABILIZING POST SO AS TO PRECLUDE RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN AND TRANSMIT INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID ACTUATOR BENDING STRESSES IN ANY LATERAL DIRECTION BETWEEN EACH SAID FOOT AND SAID FRAME. 